Man To Stand Trial On Charges He Poured Vodka On Wife, Set Fatal Fire
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The man accused of pouring vodka on his wife then lighting it on fire and ultimately killing her was ordered to stand trial during a preliminary hearing Friday in court.
As the fire raged out of control last month in Duquesne, the body of Maureen Karr lay inside with her arms and feet bound by wire.
She was found face down, dead from smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning. She had burns over 95 percent of her body.
Members of the victim's family wept as they heard the gruesome details in court. The attorney for suspect James Karr appeared unaffected by the testimony.
"I've done cases were the facts were horrifying, and I think after 27 years I don't really, this doesn't affect me anymore. I've gotten used to man's inhumanity to man, sadly," said defense attorney Lisa Middleman.
Police say James Karr has allegedly confessed.
This is what he said on Dec. 31, the day after the fire that killed his estranged wife: "I'm sorry. It was an accident. I'm sorry for Reen's parents. I'm sorry for everybody."
Police say Karr has confessed to tying up his wife, pouring vodka on her and starting the fire. They say he did it after a night of allegedly smoking crack cocaine and drinking.
Karr reportedly told police he went to see his wife in an effort to reconcile after she got a protection from abuse order. He says it led to a fight, he pushed her against the wall, and she was unresponsive. So he says he started the fire to hide her death.
Substance abuse may be part of the defense.
"Anytime an individual has a history of mental health disorder or drugs, or alcohol problems, all those things distort your thinking process," said Middleman.
Two new additional charges were filed against Karr at the Friday hearing.
Those are animal cruelty charges. He's accused of killing two dogs in that fire. One of those dogs was found lying right next to the victim's body.
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